Jimmy Moore’s n=1 Experiments: Nutritional Ketosis Day 301-330

The countdown to the end of my one-year testing of the concept known as nutritional ketosis has begun. After 11 glorious months of purposely putting my body into a state of being primarily fueled by ketones through the use of a customized high-fat, moderate protein, low-carb nutritional approach that works for me, I’m in the final month of my official testing before revealing the final results of my n=1 experiment. The tremendous response received for the standing-room-only ketosis panel I was on at PaleoFX event in Austin, Texas a couple of weeks ago tells me there is great interest in seeing what role this could play in weight loss, disease control and exercise performance. The sky truly is the limit! It’s been quite the ride for me personally as I’ve seen every measurable health marker improve even more from what were already pretty good numbers. I only expect that to continue as I keep doing this even after the regular monthly public updates end next month.

Since my time is limited with a big deadline looming on my cholesterol book, I’ll have to make this month’s update a bit more abbreviated than normal. I still have graphs of all my numbers which ended up being impacted a lot more from my 72-hour water only fast on March 17-19, 2013 right smack dab in the middle of this month’s update. Let’s see what Day 301-330 ended up looking like:

AM BLOOD KETONE LEVELS – DAY 301-330

It’s pretty obvious which days I fasted looking at my blood ketone levels in the morning. There were two remarkable things about what happened: 1) How quickly my blood ketones jumped up in response to no food consumed and 2) How much they plummeted over the next week as a means for recovering for the period of starvation. It was an interesting observation. My ketone levels are just now beginning to normalize back to where they were prior to the fast. Let’s take a look at my ketone readings at night for Day 301-330:

PM BLOOD KETONE LEVELS – DAY 301-330

This is a pretty similar graph to the AM blood ketone readings, except slightly higher which is typical of the evening readings. After the huge spike during my fasting period, once again I saw my ketone levels plummet for a week before ticking back up again. For some reason, my ketone production zoomed in this past week to levels I haven’t seen in a non-fasted state since before my trip to Australia in November. With ketones getting back to where they need to be (I like to consistently be 1.5+ to feel my very best), let’s take a look at the weight loss that happened in Day 301-330:

WEIGHT LOSS – DAY 301-330

Yes, it was quite the zig-zag in my weight and that three-day fast didn’t do me any favors either. Obviously there was a huge drop in weight down to the lowest I’ve been during this experiment when I wasn’t eating. But after the fast broke, I found my control over hunger was gone and ended up eating more and more often than I typically do. One of the key benefits NK has given me is complete control over my food and I lost that for the two weeks that followed. Thankfully it’s back now and I ended up with a net 2.2-POUND WEIGHT LOSS that officially brings me down to 231.0! What’s my total weight loss now for Day 0-330?

CUMULATIVE WEIGHT LOSS – DAY 0-330

That now gives me a TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS OF 75.2 POUNDS in eleven months. If I reach 80 pounds lost by the time I update you next following the Low-Carb Cruise, then I’ll be happy with that as a nice one-year weight loss total. As you know, this experiment has not focused on weight loss as a primary goal. Sure, it’s a nice side effect and I’ll take it, but I’m much more interested in hunger and craving control, improving inflammation and lipid numbers, blood sugar control and how I look, feel and perform being in a keto-adapted state. It was encouraging to meet so many fantastic people at PaleoFX who said they have been inspired by my NK journey and I look forward to continuing on this adventure in the months and years to come. Now let’s look at my blood sugar levels in Day 301-330 starting with the AM readings:

AM BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS – DAY 301-330

With ketone levels dropping like a rock after the fast (where my blood sugar hit 65 by the morning of the third day), I was not surprised to see a corresponding elevation in my blood sugar levels that bounced all over the place for a couple of weeks. They’re only just now returning back down into the 80s where they typically are. Even taking my favorite blood sugar-lowering supplement Glycosolve, it was challenging getting that blood sugar under control again. This is all good information to know if I ever decide to fast again. Perhaps the benefits I would have received from doing a one-week fast are actually realized by being in a state of nutritional ketosis. I’d love to see that researched further. Let’s take a look at my PM blood sugar readings in Day 301-330:

PM BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS – DAY 301-330

Ditto what I said about the morning readings. Craziness with my reading ensued in the two weeks following my fast. Hopefully now that enough time has passed and my body realizes I’m back on track again with normality in my eating patterns these numbers will stay in the 80s as well.

What’s next? I would like to have another NMR Lipoprofile test run to see what’s going on with my LDL particles and particle size. A very generous fan of my work paid for me to have genetic testing of my DNA to see if I have familial hypercholesterolemia or not. I don’t think I do, but the test results due in on April 15, 2013 will confirm or deny. Stay tuned! Another wonderful reader has agreed to pay the costs to have my hair tested for minerals. I’m currently letting it grow out to the required 1 to 1 1/2 inches for the test and will scalp the back of my head to do this test. It may not be long enough until mid-May, but I look forward to see the results from this test when I can get it done. I’m still very interested in doing more testing in the coming months, so let me know what you’d like to see me have done. And if you would like to contribute towards helping me run more health tests in the coming months, then feel free to e-mail me what tests you would like to see along with making a donation towards this effort through PayPal:

I bet your poor little fingers will be glad when it’s over! Great job! You inspire and educate me on my low-carb journey!

LLVLCBlog

LOL! I’ve gotten used to it by now.

Jim MacK

Awesome very impressive Jimmy!

http://www.facebook.com/joe.fraizer.948 Joe Fraizer

Jimmy, I have been following your blog for two years and have, until now, been too shy to comment. The pictures you posted, however, have inspired me to do so. You look unreal! You appear to be physically lean and appear to be closing in on an athletic physique. I am of Aboriginal descent, and the only success I have ever maintained with regards to weight loss has been via an approach similar to the methods you are currently using! Keep posting pictures man.

LLVLCBlog

THANKS Joe! I feel more athletic than I have in my entire life…saying a lot since I’m past the age when most men would be in their prime for physique. But I’m bound and determined to keep pursuing this with a goal to see myself get stronger and stronger and one day see my abs for the first time. It’s a BIG challenge, but I’m up for it now that I’ve found what is right for me. KEEP IT UP, Joe!

http://www.facebook.com/joe.fraizer.948 Joe Fraizer

I certainly will. Although Dr. Jack Kruse appears to be persona non grata within the Paleo community at this time, his cold thermogenesis protocol has been the most crucial factor in lowering my fasting blood glucose to within normal range. The dietary approach represented the first crucial step as it served to normalize my weight and enabled be to exercise again without discomfort.

Roughly a year ago, I had the opportunity to listen to the podcast you did with him and started reading his blog. His site is littered with diabetics who are dramatically lowering their blood glucose via daily cold exposure. I currently swim in the ocean or have a cold bath for between ten and fifteen minutes a day, and my fasting blood glucose remains stable at around 75. This is merely my own n=1 experience. It is fascinating to note, albeit anecdotal, that the Canadian Aboriginals used to use this method to reverse insulin resistance.

Have you experimented with cold exposure?

LLVLCBlog

No, didn’t want to confound variables with what I was doing with NK. Glad it’s working for you.

http://www.facebook.com/helle.hardenberg Helle Aagaard Hardenberg

You are such an inspiration, Jimmy! I can’t thank you enough for alle your n=1 posts… Great motivation and help in my own low carb-journey. Rock on!

You know Jimmy, it is so wonderful to see you looking so much healthier! As you say, the weight loss is great, but you look like you are ten years younger. Thanks for the continued updates that help keep me motivated.

Good news! I got nervous b/c my doctor wanted me to come right in before she went on vacation. She had ordered a retest and my lipids on the retest were :

TC=317 HDL=78 LDL=223 Triglycerides=81

I am so relieved. Because that makes my HDL/TC =.246 And Tri/HDL=1.03

Both are excellent and if I remember right the calculation for TC is thrown off when Tri’s are lower than 100. Can’t wait for your book. I will get a copy for my doctor b/c of course she still wants me on a statin.

LLVLCBlog

OUTSTANDING!!!

Stephen Kirkland

For someone who is an ectomorph body type and looking to put on muscle, is attempting something like a super low-carb, moderate protein, high fat diet feasible?

LLVLCBlog

Try it and find out.

Randle

Jimmy, you gotta get a smaller shirt! It’s a dead giveaway, when someone loses massive amounts of weight, to still hang onto shirts and jackets that fit like hand-me-downs! I hung onto mine for years until I was sure I’m not gaining any of it back. Congrats, Jimmy! Can’t be happier for you!

Connie

So happy for you Jimmy! You’ve inspired me to try NK to lose 40lbs and get healthier.

Hi Jimmy, I’m curious, have managed to get rid of the “spare tyre”? Or not at that stage yet. After 4 years now of being on paleo-like diet and lifting heavy at the gym it’s he only stubborn part I have left. What’s worse is it seems to expand and shrink willy-nilly. Thanks.

LLVLCBlog

Still have it. That’s why my next goal isn’t a weight–I wanna see my abs.

Please share your progress since I don’t think we are the only ones with “leftover” fat after quick weight loss.

LLVLCBlog

Oh I will.

Michael Mifsud

Is this saying the fasting, at least for 3 days, isn’t necessarily a good thing for weight control? I fast about 14 to 16 hours every weekday, mostly out of convenience and I wonder now if I am doing more harm than good.

LLVLCBlog

I’ve seen no downside to natural fasting periods.

Michael Mifsud

Jimmy, seems I have fallen into the trap of eating too much protein as well. I know your breakfast meal but since I normally skip breakfast any specific food recommendations for lunch/dinner that is predominetly fat? I am struggling to push my fat intake above 65% and protein below 30%.

Thanks in advance.

LLVLCBlog

Fatty meats cooked in butter or coconut oil, sour cream, cream or hard cheeses. Should do the trick.

Michael Mifsud

So basically avoid lean meats as much as possible like chicken and fish and/or smother them in fat. Sounds doable. Finally reading the keto book. It’s fascinating.